Journalist. Mother. Bunny enthusiast. Pop culture junkie.

Monday, May 30, 2011

"I am Myra Breckinridge, whom no man will ever possess. The new woman whose astonishing history started with a surgeon's scalpel, and will end... who-knows-where...Who is Myra Breckinridge? What is she? Myra Breckinridge is a dish, and don't you ever forget it, you motherfuckers—as the children say nowadays."

This 1970 film stars Mae West, Raquel Welch, John Huston, and Farrah Fawcett.

It is about a man who gets a sex change operation and turns into a gorgeous bombshell of a woman.

Sounds like the greatest film in the entire world, right?

You are wrong. So, so wrong.

Rian and I made this mistake when we picked up Myra Breckinridge from the library the other day.

It is one of the worst movies in the world.

Where do I even begin?

This X-rated film tries so hard to be avant-garde that it falls off the tracks into a gigantic wreck.

It is simply too chaotic, with no transition. There are dozens of classic film clips inserted randomly throughout the movie. There are scenes which have no meaning and don't belong.

It is awkwardly sadistic, with scenes that are supposed to be poignant but only end up cringe-worthy.

Mae West is a disaster and she only appears for 15 minutes or so, although she is topped billed. The Hollywood legend, at 75 years old, plays a sex-addicted Hollywood talent agent who randomly sings an awful song for no reason in the middle of the film. It is so horrific, it is almost comedic. I cringed as the senior citizen lewdly spewed lines such as, "Don't forget to remind me about the policeman's balls - I mean police show!"

Ironically (and sadly), this film was Mae's first return to movies in almost 30 years. It was supposed to jumpstart her career. It didn't.

I am incredibly disappointed that this movie was such an epic failure because it had all the potential of being a kick-ass film.

Myra Breckinridge was the screen version of the best-selling 1960s novel of the same name. The book was a phenomenal hit at the time, almost defining the sexual revolution with its naked portrait of homosexuality and a gender-bending society. Studio executives had hoped the movie would do the famous book justice.

The film was also supposed to be the spectacular debut of Raquel Welch's acting abilities. Instead, it ended up ruining her career.

After seeing a documentary about Myra Breckinridge, I discovered the making of it was even more disastrous than the film itself!

Studio executives chose Michael Sarne, a 20-something-year-old hippie, to direct the film, even though he barely had any film experience. They hoped his youth and coolness factor would make the film a hip new hit for 20th Century Fox.

Unfortunately, the kid was overwhelmed by the entire experience. He was intimidated by his famous cast, he was too timid to contradict the studio or producer, and he naively spent too much time filming scenes that had nothing to do with the content of the film.

The cast despised him and unsuccessfully rallied to get him fired.

Mae West caused havoc on the set by being openly jealous of her much younger and beautiful costar, Raquel Welch. She was cold to her between takes, refused to be in any frame of film with her, and even tried to steal her wardrobe.

The cast members were terribly unhappy with the script and during filming, they openly voiced their discontent to anyone who would listen, whether it was a lawyer or journalist.

When Gore Vidal, the author of the book, saw the film, he was humiliated and disgusted.

Plus, numerous legendary Hollywood stars, from Shirley Temple to Loretta Young, successfully sued the filmmakers for using clips of them in the X-rated movie.

When the film was released, it was so bad, it shocked viewers and film critics around the world. It was (and still is) considered one of the worst films ever made. 20th Century Fox executives admitted later on that the film was so bad, it almost destroyed the entire studio.

Michael Sarne never made another movie again and it was even heavily rumored that he ended up being a waiter in a pizzeria only a few years after his box-office disaster was released.

Insane, huh?

I am so intrigued with the behind-the-scenes story, I totally think there should be a movie about the making of the movie!

Anyway, save a couple hours of your life and don't watch this film. It's just not worth it.

(If you want to see an awesome avant-garde film from the 1960s, I highly suggest Petulia. It's one of my faves.)

Friday, May 27, 2011

As a teenager, she grew up with the long blonde hair (middle part), bell bottoms, and frilly blouses.

As a result, from the moment I had hair, she combed it into a middle part. Every single day.

By the time I was old enough to do my own hair, I didn't know any better and continued on this middle part journey.

Through my 20s, I have tried desperately to get rid of my middle part. I hate it. I don't want it anymore! But nothing works! It falls back into 1970s hair before I know it.

Well, I've decided that if I can't change it, I might as well embrace it.

After all, aren't the 1970s in style this summer? So, maybe that makes ME in style!

I've decided to dedicate this post to a girl who epitomized the 1970s and made her middle part the envy of every school girl across the US.

I'm talking about Susan Dey.

She played teen dream Laurie on The Partridge Family, a happy-go-lucky television show about a musical family. (Think Glee meets The Brady Bunch).

Guys wanted to date her and girls wanted to be her.

The Partridge Family princess was a huge fashion icon during the 1970s, revealing a softer, more mainstream version of boho chic that any teenage girl could wear to school.

Susan, an Illinois native, started out her career as a model. Her mother read an article about fashion modeling in Seventeen Magazine and submitted photos of Susan and her sister to a top modeling agency in New York City. They were immediately signed in 1968.

It wasn't long before Susan became the face of Seventeen Magazine herself.

As a model, Susan continued high school, which I found admirable. Drama was her favorite subject and she toyed with being an actress. She was set to play a duck in her school's Christmas play, when she was beckoned to take the role of Laurie in the new television show, the Partridge Family in 1970.

Thrilled, she packed her bags and moved to Hollywood.

Even with little acting experience, Susan turned the role of Laurie Partridge into a television icon. The 18-year-old was very similar to her television character: sweet, quirky, and with an adorable fashion sense.

When the show became a worldwide sensation, Susan became a huge star.

And her long straight hair with a middle part became one of the most sought after hair styles in the early 1970s.

It also has the most breathtaking collection of swimsuits I have ever seen. I could seriously do a whole other post on it alone.

Luckily for you, Shabby Apple is generously giving all of my readers a 10% off coupon! Simply use the code "iknow10off." It will expire 30 days from now, so hurry!

(Plus, if you like Shabby Apple on Facebook, you can recieve other exclusive discounts and special promotions as well).

Now, on to your favorite part: the giveaway!

One of my lucky readers will win this GORGEOUS dress:

This vintage-inspired dress is actually my personal favorite from the collection. When I close my eyes, I can picture myself wearing this beauty while cruising on a Vespa down the streets of Rome, smiling flirtatiously at handsome Italian men and basking in their admiring stares...sigh.

Ahem, anyway.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm totally jealous of you right now.

This giveaway is open to US residents only.

To enter:

-Be a follower of "I Know, Right?"-Leave a comment with your e-mail address.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

The film revolves around a beautiful young married woman who falls in love with a drifter. They plot to murder her husband, but they are not prepared for the consequences once the deed is done.

The Postman Always Rings Twice is film noir at its very best.

It is incredibly suspenseful, is full of complex twists and turns, and has a phenomenal cast.

John Garfield shines as the handsome bad boy, Frank, who falls in love with a married woman.

Hume Cronyn practically steals the entire film with his biting portrayal as the brilliant defense lawyer, Arthur.

But this film would be absolutely nothing without its cherry on top, legendary Hollywood glamourpuss, Lana Turner. At the time this movie was made (1946) she was considered the most beautiful woman in Hollywood.

Her entrance into the film, where the camera pans from a fallen tube of lipstick to her bare legs is iconic to movie buffs.

Lana flawlessly portrays her character, Cora, in such a complicated way, you won't know whether to love her or hate her. She is cold, calculating, utterly in love, completely naive, frighteningly gentle, and heartbreakingly dangerous.

If you know your Hollywood history, then you probably know Lana in real life was very much the same.

Lana was raised in Los Angeles by her single mother, after her father was murdered. They were incredibly poor.

Her introduction to Hollywood in the mid-1930s is a showbiz Cinderella story. Lana had skipped school one day to go buy a Coke at a local cafe. Intrigued by the 16-year-old's beauty, the publisher of the Hollywood Reporter, who was also dining there, referred her to a talent agent. She signed a contract and her career quickly took off.

For most of the 1930s, Lana was celebrated as a movie star and pinup model for college boys.

In the 1940s and 1950s, she established herself as a legitimate actress, even being offered meaty, complex roles turned down by the talented Katharine Hepburn.

Her personal life, however, was a mess.

Lana married eight different times to men who were all pretty much scumbags. For example, one of them molested her daughter and another one stole a lot of money from her and disappeared.

Things took a turn for the worse in 1957 when she fell in love with Johnny Stompanato, a businessman who was involved with the mafia. It was a love/hate relationship filled with physical abuse, angry outbursts, and jealousy.

One year later, Lana's 14-year-old daughter, Cheryl, overheard the couple having an extremely violent fight. Fearing for her mother's life, Cheryl took a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Johnny to death.

Lana gave a heartwrenching testimony at the trial, pleading her daughter's honor. It was considered to be the greatest acting performance of her life. Nevertheless, it worked. The murder was ruled self-defense.

Unfortunately, the murder also killed Lana's career. It never fully recovered after the media circus surrounding the trial.

I find this sad because after seeing The Postman Always Rings Twice, it is quite obvious Lana had genuine acting abilities beyond her beauty. She still had decades worth of talent to offer before her death from cancer in 1995.

If you want to see that talent, I highly recommend The Postman Always Rings Twice.